Lisa Lambert has been named interim president of Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She succeeds Rhonda Phillips, who will assume the presidency of St. Mary’s College of Maryland this summer.
Chatham University enrolls about 1,500 undergraduate and 800 graduate students. Women represent 70 percent of the undergraduate student body.
A faculty member for the past four decades, Dr. Lambert currently serves Chatham University as provost and vice president of academic affairs. Throughout her long tenure, she has had stints as chair of the biology department, chair of the natural sciences division, director for the master’s degree program in biology, associate dean for academic affairs, and assistant vice president of undergraduate learning.
As a biology professor, Dr. Lambert teaches courses on genetics, biostatistics, bioinformatics, research methods, and developmental biology. In her own research, she focuses on the evolution of genes involved in iron transport and regulation.
“I am honored to serve Chatham University in this new role as interim university president,” said Dr. Lambert. “Over the years, I have seen Chatham’s positive impact on our students, and I am deeply committed to building on our momentum and mission. I look forward to continuing this work with our dedicated faculty, staff, students, and alumni.”
Dr. Lambert holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and a Ph.D. in genetics from Indiana University.
Following the recent resignation of former president Marcus Thompson, Denise Jones Gregory has been selected to serve as interim president of Jackson State University in Mississippi.
Women in Academia Report regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. The books included are on a wide variety of subjects and present many different points of view. The opinions expressed in these books do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board of WIAReport. As an Amazon Associate, WIAReport will earn a fraction of revenue from qualifying purchases.
Wesleyan College, a women’s liberal arts college in Macon, Georgia, has launched a new $61 million fundraising campaign to support the institution’s student services and improve campus infrastructure. The “She Will” campaign features three key donation areas for donors to direct their gifts.
Each week, Women in Academia Report will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. The links presented direct the reader to articles from many different points of view that deal with issues of women in higher education. The articles selected do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board of WIAReport.
Katherine Ann Dunipace Stebbins, longtime professor at Eastern Kentucky University, passed away on April 3. She was 92 years old.
The Schlumberger Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating women leaders in STEM and “driving education, innovation, and thought leadership for a balanced planet,” has awarded 143 grants to women through the Faculty for the Future fellowship program
“The Faculty for the Future program is not just about providing financial support; it’s about transforming lives,” said Capella Festa, president of the Schlumberger Foundation. “Our grantees are making significant contributions to their communities and the world. They are the future leaders, educators, and innovators who will drive sustainable development.”
Holly J. Humphrey, former dean for medical education at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, passed away on April 17. She was 68 years old.
Leslie Pick has been appointed associate dean for graduate education in the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland. She is a professor in the university’s department of entomology and previously served as its chair for over a decade. Earlier in her tenure with the university, she was director of the molecular and cell biology graduate program.
Angélique Bordey, the Rothberg Professor of Neurosurgery at Yale University, has been named senior vice president of neuroscience at Cassava Sciences, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel treatments for central nervous system disorders. She will retain her position at Yale School of Medicine, where she is vice chair for research in the department of neurosurgery.
Laura Rotunno has been named associate dean of academic affairs for the Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University. Since 2003, she has served as a professor of English at Penn State Altoona. She also serves as the Schreyer Honors College coordinator for the Altoona campus. Her next book, The New Woman in Fact and Fiction, 1880-1914, is forthcoming from Palgrave Macmillan.
Karen Smilowitz has been appointed associate provost for undergraduate education at Northwestern University in Illinois. A Northwestern faculty member since 2001, she is the James N. and Margie M. Krebs Professor in Industrial Engineering and Management Science in the McCormick School of Engineering and a professor of operations in the Kellogg School of Management.
Natalya Delcoure has been named dean of the Dr. Sam Pack College of Business at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. Since 2013, she has served as dean of the College of Business Administration at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Earlier, she was associate dean and professor of finance at the Lucas Graduate School of Business at San Jose State University in California.
Sarah Beth Estes has been named dean of the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Wichita State University in Kansas. She comes to her new role from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she is dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education. As a scholar, she focuses her research on social inequality, gender, and the transformative power of education.
Kristina Rose has been promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of libraries at New York University. She has been a staff member with NYU libraries for over two decades. Prior to her interim appointment, she served as associate dean for collections and content strategy. Earlier in her career, she worked for the Butler Reserves and Milstein College Library at Columbia University.
Catrine Tudor-Locke has been named dean of the College of Health Sciences at Texas Woman’s University. She currently serves as dean of the College of Health and Human Services at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she has worked since 2019. Prior to her current role, she was associate dean for research and administration at the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Carolina Blatt has been appointed dean of arts and communication at Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania. She comes to her new position from Rowan University in New Jersey, where she is a program coordinator and instructor of art education in the College of Communication and Creative Arts. She previously held teaching positions with Drexel University in Philadelphia, The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, The College of New Jersey, and Georgia Gwinnett College.
The Geis Foundation, the philanthropic division of the American Dental Education Association, has presented the Gies Award for Vision and Leadership to Cecile A. Feldman, dean of the School of Dental Medicine at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Christi Hopkins has been named vice president for enrollment management at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. Her background includes extensive leadership experience in enrollment. Prior to her new role, she was vice president for enrollment management at McPherson College in Kansas for over a decade.
Katie Bell has been appointed vice president for communications and marketing at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. With over 25 years of marketing experience, she currently serves as senior director of marketing and events at Textron Systems. Her background in academia includes leadership roles with Bucknell University and Lycoming College, both in Pennsylvania.
Nancy Chick has been named executive director of the Center for Faculty Success at Texas Woman’s University in Denton. A former professor of English, she has worked in faculty development for nearly two decades, including roles with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, the University of Calgary in Canada, and Rollins College in Florida. She has authored several scholarly publications, including her most recent book, 
Rosalynn Bliss has been appointed assistant dean and chief external relations officer for the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She previously served two terms as the first woman mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Earlier, she was director of residential services at D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s, a nonprofit organization dedicated to child welfare.
Nicole L. McDonald has been named assistant dean of Georgia State University’s Perimeter College, a two-year college within the university system. She comes to her new role from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, where was the senior vice president for transformation initiatives. Previously, she was assistant vice provost for student success strategies at the University of Houston.
Lerato Barney has been named vice president and chief audit and compliance officer at Princeton University. Her background includes over two decades of experience in operational, financial, and information technology audit programs. Currently, she serves as vice president and chief audit officer for The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Jessica Grant has been promoted from interim director to permanent director of the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to her current role, she spent over a decade as a research scientist and administrative manager with the survey research division of RTI International in Durham, North Carolina.
Celeste A. Wallander has been named the inaugural executive director of Penn Washington, the home of University of Pennsylvania’s initiatives in the nation’s capitol. With significant experience in federal government and academic research, she most recently served as assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs at the Department of Defense. She has previously held teaching positions with Harvard University, American University, and Georgetown University.
Judith Pascoe, the George Mills Harper Professor of English at Florida State University, has received the 2025 Distinguished Scholar Award from the Keats-Shelley Association of America in honor of her career-long scholarly excellence in Romantic-era British literature and culture.
Throughout her career, Dr. Pascoe has studied eighteenth- and nineteenth-century British literature, with a particular focus on collecting history and theory, theatre and performance studies, digital humanities, and voice recording. She is the author of four books, including her most recent monograph, 
Chen-Nee Chuah, professor of electrical and computer engineering and Child Family Professor in Engineering, has been appointed co-director of the AI Center in Engineering. A UC Davis faculty member since 2002, she focuses her research on large-scale networked systems and learning-driven information processing, computation, and control. She is also interested in applying data science and machine learning techniques to different application domains.
Chimène Keitner, Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Law, has been named director of the Center for International Law and Policy. She is a leading authority on international law and civil litigation, previously serving as counselor on international law at the U.S. Department of State. She is the author of two books, including 
Afra Afsharipour, Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Law, has been named the inaugural director of the Center for Business Law and Society. She recently served as the senior associate dean for academic affairs at the UC Davis School of Law from 2018 to 2024. In her research, she examines comparative corporate law, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and transactional law. Her scholarship has been featured in several law reviews and books, including 
Bethany Meighen has been appointed as the thirteenth president of Concord University in Athens, West Virginia. On July 1, she will succeed 
Rhonda G. Phillips has been appointed the eighth president of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, effective July 1. The college is a primarily undergraduate institution, enrolling some 1,600 undergraduates and 10 graduate students. Women represent 61 percent of the undergraduate student body.
Kelly Bidle has been named provost and vice president of academic affairs at Rider University in New Jersey. A faculty member for over two decades, she has served as dean of the university’s College of Arts and Sciences since 2019. She has held several leadership roles throughout her long tenure, including chair of various strategic planning committees and NCAA faculty athletics representative. In her scientific research, she examines the molecular and genetic adaptations used by microbes to survive in extreme environments.
Helen White has been appointed provost of Haverford College in Pennsylvania. Holding the title of William H. and Johanna A. Harris Professor in environmental studies and chemistry, she has been serving as the college’s associate provost for curriculum development and research. Earlier, she was director of the Koshland Integrated Natural Sciences Center. Her scholarship explores the persistence of human-derived compounds in the marine environment, specifically those from oil and plastic waste.
Beverly J. Warren has been selected to serve as interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her appointment marks a return to the university, where she previously served as provost from 2011 to 2014. Prior to that role, she held a wide-range of leadership positions with VCU, including dean of the School of Education and head of the division of health, physical education, and wellness. More recently, she served as president of Kent State University in Ohio from 2014 to 2019.
Jeannette E. Riley has been named provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of New Hampshire. She comes to her new role from the University of Rhode Island, where she has been serving as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Before joining the University of Rhode Island faculty in 2017, she spent 15 years with the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, serving in roles such as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, academic director of online education, and chair of the department of English.
In April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it was terminating contracts with all four regional centers associated with the 
Mimi Milner Elrod, longtime administrator at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, passed away on March 25. She was 81 years old.
Mississippi University for Women has recently announced a new certificate program in nursing education to support nurses who are interested in transitioning into teaching positions.
“This new certificate offering speaks to the W’s commitment to the future of Mississippi healthcare, a future that depends on the quality of nursing education,” said Brandy Larmon, dean of the university’s Vandergriff College of Nursing and Health Sciences. “Nurse educators are a bridge between knowledge and practice, and they shape the next generation of caregivers. Investing in that relationship is a priority for our college.”
Cheryl Green, the first Black president of Governors State University in Illinois, passed away on April 23 after a long battle with cancer.
Established in 1996 through a donation of $10 million from Anne T. and Robert Bass, the Bass Society of Fellows serves to recognize and support outstanding faculty at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Members of the society hold a named professor title for a five-year term, along with lifelong recognition as Bass Fellows. Throughout the year, fellows organize opportunities to exchange innovative ideas and experiences, with a particular emphasis on excellence in undergraduate teaching.
Jasmine Nichole Cobb was named the Earl D. McLean Jr. Professor. She is a professor of African & African American studies and of art, art history and visual studies with a research focus on Black women, popular culture, and visual representation. She is the author of 
Roseen Giles was appointed the Alexander F. Hehmeyer Associate Professor. Dr. Giles specializes in early modern musical culture and serves as the curator of Duke University Musical Instrument Collections. In her research she examines the aesthetic, professional and personal relationships between poets and musicians of the Italian seventeenth century. She is the author of 
Tamika Nunley is the William & Sue Gross Professor. She is a research professor of history and a celebrated historian of African American women’s history and the history of slavery. She is the author of 
Phia Salter was named the Fred W. Shaffer Associate Professor of psychology and neuroscience. Dr. Salter’s research uses cultural-psychological and critical race perspectives to inform our understanding of collective memory, social identity and systemic racism. Before joining the faculty at Duke University, Dr. Salter taught and conducted research at Texas A&M University and served on the faculty at Davidson College in North Carolina. Dr. Salter is a graduate of Davidson College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Kansas.
Susan Gooden, dean of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, has received the 2025 Dwight Waldo Award from the American Society for Public Administration. The annual award recognizes an individual whose career contributions have influenced scholarship in public administration. Dr. Gooden is the first Black person to receive the Waldo Award in its 45-year history.
Monica Carson Sheriff has been named dean of students at Hollins University, a women’s college in Roanoke, Virginia. Before her new role with Hollins, she was director of residence life at Saint Louis University in Missouri. Earlier in her career, she has held student affairs roles with the now closed Cabrini University and Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Monica Swahn has been named dean of the School of Public Health at Virginia Commonwealth University. Currently, she serves as a professor and dean of the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. As a scholar of global public health, she researches the structural drivers of alcohol use, violence, and HIV/AIDS. Her work has a particular emphasis on how alcohol exacerbates health disparities and chronic diseases.
Annette Hux has been promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Arkansas State University. She has been a faculty member with the university for more than a decade. Prior to her interim appointment, she was chair of the department of educational leadership, curriculum, and special education.
Donna Haraway, distinguished professor emerita at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has received the 2025 Erasmus Prize from the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation, a Dutch cultural institution dedicated to advancing the fields of humanities, social sciences, and the arts. The prize, which includes a €150,000 reward, is presented annually to an individual who has made exceptional scholarly contributions throughout their career.
Savanna Wood has been named the inaugural chief communications and branding officer for athletics at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She comes to her new role from the University of Miami, where she was the executive associate athletic director for brand and marketing strategy. Outside of academia, she has held marketing leadership roles with Thrill One Sports and Entertainment and the National Football League’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
Tammy Moore has been selected to serve as interim vice president for marketing and communications at Hollins University, a women’s college in Roanoke, Virginia. She has a diverse background in marketing and communications across various industries, including higher education. She previously served as chief marketing and communications officer for the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in Minnesota.
Tina Pamintuan has been named president and chief executive officer of KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio, the NPR news station of Seattle and a self-sustaining service of the University of Washington. Currently, she serves as chief executive officer of St. Louis Public Radio, which was formerly affiliated with the University of Missouri. Earlier in her career, she founded and directed the audio journalism program at the City University of New York.
Kang Xia has been appointed associate director of AgBioResearch at Michigan State University. She joins the university from Virginia Tech, where she served as associate director of the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station and director of the Center for Advanced Innovation in Agriculture. She previously held academic appointments at Kansas State University, the University of Georgia, and Mississippi State University.
Sonya Maria Hadrigan has been named the inaugural associate vice president for research integrity at the University of Rochester in New York. Prior to her new role, she was the associate provost for research integrity and compliance at George Washington University. Her background includes several research positions with various universities and health systems.
Joan Ferrini-Mundy, the twenty-first president of the University of Maine, has received the 2025 Distinguished Public Service Award from the American Educational Research Association. The annual award recognizes an individual who has supported and advanced policies grounded in educational research.
Midori studied at Juilliard’s Pre-College division in the 1980s before dropping out to perform around the world as a soloist and recitalist. She gave her first public performance at the age of 6. Midori holds the Dorothy Richard Starling Chair in Violin Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and is artistic director of Ravinia Steans Music Institute’s Piano & Strings. Earlier in her academic career she was a professor at the at University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. Midori holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and gender studies and a master’s degree in psychology from New York University.
A native of Lexington, Virginia, Hilary Hahn has won three Grammy awards. She began performing a the age of 3 and debuted with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the age of 12. She earned a bachelor’s degree at the Curtis Institute of Music. Hahn was a visiting artist at Julliard during the 2023-24 academic year. She has also served as a visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music, as the Chubb Fellow at Yale University’s Timothy Dwight College, and artist-in-residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Hahn has recorded 16 albums and had played on the soundtrack for many major films.
Stella Chen earned her doctoral degree at Juilliard in 2021. She has performed across North America, Europe, and Asia in concerto, recital, and chamber music settings, appearing as a soloist with orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Dr. Chen was the winner of the 2019 Queen Elizabeth International Violin Competition.. She is a member of the faculty at the annual Nume Festival and Academy in Cortona, Italy. She has also served as a visiting assistant professor of violin at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia.
Sheryl Staples joined the New York Philharmonic as Principal Associate Concertmaster and The Elizabeth G. Beinecke Chair, in September 1998. She made her solo debut with the Philharmonic in 1999. She has performed as a soloist with more than 45 orchestras nationwide. She began teaching at the age of 17 and has served on the violin faculties of Juilliard Pre-College, the Manhattan School of Music, the University of Southern California, and the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Nina Lee is a cellist who began learning cello in Chesterfield, Missouri, at the age of 10. Six years later, she left home to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Juilliard. She joined the Brentano Quartet in 1999, which is now housed at the Yale School of Music. The quartet has performed throughout North America, Australia, New Zealand, England, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy. She also has served on the faculty at Princeton University and Columbia University.
Leslie Edgar has been named the J.R. Simplot Endowed Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Idaho. Currently, she is the associate dean of research for the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resources and director of the Agricultural Research Center at Washington State University. In her research, she studies models for effective communication management strategies, as well as human capital in agriculture.
Beth Belmont has been named the inaugural Parker A. Denaco ’68L Term Professor at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. A W&L faculty member since 2001, she currently serves as a clinical professor of law, director of the community legal practice clinic, and director of experiential education for the law school. Her areas of expertise include family law, elder law, and litigation.
Amanda Thomas has been named the inaugural Louise H. Kellogg Endowed Chair in the department of earth and planetary sciences at the University of California, Davis. She previously taught at the University of Oregon prior to joining the UC Davis faculty earlier this year. As a geophysicist, she specializes in observational seismology. Her research uses vibrations of the Earth’s surface to study tectonic, volcanic, and surface processes.
Pratima Gandhi has been selected to serve as interim chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Her appointment is effective July 14.
Sherry Turner has been named the twelfth president of the Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. She is slated to become the Connecticut-based university’s first African American president on July 1.
Shari Olson has been appointed president of Northland Community & Technical College, effective immediately. The community college, located in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, enrolls nearly 2,500 students, 58 percent of whom are women.
Ritu Raju has been named president of South Central College in North Makato, Minnesota. The institution enrolls over 2,600 students, 57 percent of whom are women. Dr. Raju will begin her presidency on July 1.